Florida Native Plant Society Blog

All FNPS members are invited to join the Pawpaw chapter of FNPS, Saturday, October 14, 2017, for an  all-day,  driving/walking, field trip in the Ocala National Forest!   Dr. Susan Carr will guide us, as we explore 1- 3 year old, fire-managed, longleaf pine sandhill areas near Salt Springs. Dr. Susan Carr    Trip participants should wear field clothes, and bring their own lunch, as well as drinking water, insect repellent, and Florida-appropriate weather gear.   Dr. Susan Carr and David Anderson Participants should expect to travel over several miles of rough dusty forest roads. The reward of possibly spotting a fox squirrel, RCW nest trees, and of course, great understory of plant diversity in Fall bloom, makes it worth the effort!  For more details, FNPS members should contact trip coordinator, Sonya Guidry: guidry.sonya@gmail.com

Submitted by Don Spence and Sonya Guidry, Pawpaw Chapter of FNPS Once again the Pawpaw Chapter sponsored a special award at the annual Tomoka Regional Science and Engineering Fair, held at Spruce Creek High School on Jan. 28. Pawpaw’s judges were Don Spence, Danny Young and Sonya Guidry. Emma Schlageter, 1st Place Winner. Photo by Sonya Guidry The PawPaw Chapter selected Emma Schlageter as first-place winner. Ms. Schlageter’s project reported on the biodiversity of salt marsh restoration in the Halifax River basin. The first-place winner received a certificate, a wildflower guide by Dr. Walter Taylor, $60.00, and a student membership. Isabel Kraby, honorable mention. Photo by Sonya Guidry. An honorable mention was awarded to Isabel Kraby.  Ms. Kraby examined leaf pigments of plants commonly found in Florida. Our honorable mention winner received a certificate and a student membership.   Both young women are middle school students.  ...

The Story of a Field Trip Leader who Just Wouldn’t Give Up By Sande Habali Native “Apples” in Florida!  “Apples” in Volusia County?  Thanks to the dedication of our intrepid field trip leader, Sonya Guidry, the two year search for the endangered Harrisia fragrans is over!  Pawpaw chapter members located a Prickly “apple” orchard in southern Volusia County! Sonya and I first met Dr. Jon Moore from Florida Atlantic University, Wilkes Honor College , where he presented a paper on the Prickly Apple at the 2012 FNPS Conference in Plant City. His research paper was entitled " Transplantation of the Endangered Fragrant Prickly Apple Cactus,  Harrisia fragrans, in St. Lucie and Indian River Counties ." He explained the scrub habitat and conditions of its survival historically and that it exists now in St Lucie and Brevard County coastlines. He mentioned it could “possibly” be found in Volusia County and gave Sonya the coordinates. When he said it would be “hard...